A 40-year-old woman from Volyn, suspected of having rabies after being bitten by a cat, died at the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital on November 9. Doctors note that there was no chance of recovery, since this disease is not treatable. At the same time, the occurrence of rabies can be prevented with timely anti-rabies treatment. The last fatal case of rabies in the Lviv region was recorded in 2018.
According to Tamila Aleksanyan, head of the 4th diagnostic department of the hospital, the woman was hospitalized in early November after previous treatment for encephalitis in a medical institution in Volyn. The patient's condition worsened, and she was transferred to Lviv. At the hospital, she was immediately taken to intensive care, where characteristic symptoms of rabies appeared: muscle cramps, drooling, and a paralytic stage. The woman was connected to a ventilator, but she died on November 9.
According to relatives, the infection occurred on August 8, when the woman picked up a small cat after returning from the cemetery. The animal bit her, but neither she nor the doctors initially paid any attention to it. The preliminary diagnosis – rabies – has yet to be confirmed in the laboratory.
Iryna Kulish, head of the department of especially dangerous infections at the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized that all patients who received timely anti-rabies treatment did not develop rabies. She added that it is important to strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen: avoid hypothermia, overwork, and alcohol.
How to prevent rabies:
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Avoid contact with stray and wild animals, and explain the dangers to children.
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Vaccinate pets against rabies.
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If bitten or stung by a suspicious animal, thoroughly wash the wound, treat with alcohol or iodine, and seek medical attention for anti-rabies treatment.
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If a pet has bitten, it should be observed under veterinary supervision.
